Of Nightmares and Hope
by Kaitie85386
Summary: A series of dreams Annabeth has between the day after Percy disappears to the day before they leave. Rated T to be safe.


**A/N I'm really proud of how this turned out. Honestly, it's the best thing I've written so far. It's also a new style for me, so I'd love to know what you think!**

* * *

The first time it happens is the night after he disappears.

She dreams that she's in the throne room on Mt. Olympus.

It's dark.

The only light comes from Hestia's hearth.

A figure steps- no, is pushed- out of the shadows.

Annabeth's heart leaps. _Percy_!

She tries to move, call his name, do something, but can't. She can only watch.

Watch, as he stumbles and falls to the cold hard stone.

Watch, as a second figure detaches itself from the shadows.

Watch, as Hera strides towards him.

She screams. A scream that no one else can hear.

Percy lifts his head.

He sees her. Opens his mouth to say something- _what_?

Hera strikes.

In her hands, she holds a lightning bolt.

The logical part of her knew that it couldn't be real- Zeus would never give her his master bolt- but the illogical part of her quickly overrides that and sends her into a panic.

His body jerks, once, twice, and falls ominously still.

Now she is released from whatever was holding her. She runs to his body as Hera disappears in a flash of light.

Holds his head in her lap as he breathes his last, final words unsaid.

Tears fall freely as she grieves.

"No!" she cries. _You can't be gone_

To survive the Titan War only to be taken out by a vengeful goddess in the middle of the night.

She awakens in tears.

* * *

That dream haunts her for weeks, only to be replaced with one that is even worse.

She's standing on the deck of a flying ship. The details are fuzzy, as is the countryside she flies over.

One thing that is clear is her destination.

_Who would have thought_, her mind wanders, _Roman demigods?_

She studies her surroundings more intently, hoping to find a clue that would be of use when she wakes up.

She finds nothing. Only Jason, standing at the prow. _Directing us,_ she thinks. _I could use some direction._

It suddenly feels like the floor is dropping out from beneath her feet.

She looks over the edge at the thousand Roman soldiers that are growing closer.

From a hundred metres up, she surveys the crowd. Already she can tell that they are more organized than Camp Half-Blood could ever be.

The ship lands.

Jason is already flying towards a small party working its way through the crowd. At the head is a tall man in full armor.

Annabeth follows. Of course, she walks instead of flying.

Jason is already speaking when she arrives. She interrupts him.

"Have you seen Percy?"

"Who?"

_No. No no nononono!_

She tries again.

"Percy Jackson. He's supposed to be here. He _has_ to be here!"

"I'm sorry," the leader says, "But there is no 'Percy Jackson' here."

_No. He _has_ to be here. _

She almost breaks down then and there.

The one thought that kept her going throughout those long weeks was that when it was over, she would see him again.

To have fate rip it away was oh so cruel.

She awakens with new resolve to find him.

* * *

She knows she should be used to it by now.

Every new piece of information causes a new nightmare.

It's gotten to the point where she almost wishes that no one would find a new lead.

A passing comment from Clarisse had led her to a realization.

This time, she stands alone on the deck of the Argo 2.

She walks to the side and stares over the railing.

A rough count is three hundred armed Romans. More than enough to take the few Greeks she knows are below decks.

Minutes later, the ship lands.

Seconds after that, a command is shouted, and the Romans charge.

The resulting fight is short and bloody.

Annabeth draws her knife and prepares for the attack.

She scans the crowd. He's not there.

She takes down ten or fifteen, but is eventually overwhelmed by sheer numbers.

It takes three people to drag her to their leader. She fights like a wildcat, kicking and screaming.

When she is finally deposited on the dirt in front of their leader, she looks up and sees _Him_ for the first time in months.

She gasps. "Percy!"

He looks at her. There is no recognition, no acknowledgement of her statement.

She knows then that he is truly gone. _Her_ Percy would have done something to reassure her.

The person standing in front of her may well be a complete stranger.

He frowns.

Annabeth clings to a wild, desperate hope that he will suddenly remember everything.

It doesn't happen.

Instead, he pulls a sword from a sheath at his side. It's not Riptide.

_How did I miss that?_ She wonders.

He levels the sword at her chest.

"Any last words, Graecus?"

Her heart stops.

Oh, she has plenty of last words. Most of them revolve around the thought, _How could you?_

Instead, she chooses to die with dignity.

"Only this. I loved you, Percy."

Loved, in the past tense.

He isn't the same man she fell in love with.

He hesitates.

Holds up a hand to stop the incoming blade.

_Too late._

She wakes up. Rubs her neck where the blade cut into, sure that it left a mark. Her hand runs over unblemished skin.

She doesn't know what she'll do if any of her nightmares turn out to be true.

* * *

The dreams all start the same now.

She is standing on the deck of the Argo 2. Around her stand Jason, Piper, and Leo, strangely silent. They approach the Roman camp.

This is where it changes. Sometimes, the Romans attack before the ship even touches the ground. In others, they land safely, only to find that no one there knows who Percy is.

A loud _thud_ and the Argo 2 has landed.

Annabeth's heart pounds.

She walks forward slowly. The others follow.

She knows that it isn't real, but can't help feel like it is. To be so close, and so far from _Him. _

She reaches the railing, and there he is.

_Percy_.

She wants to scream at the sky, _Take that Hera!_ but restrains herself.

_Percy_. She has eyes only for him, and has to stop herself from reaching out to him. _A leader must remain composed_, she reminds herself.

Her focus widens to the group of people surrounding Percy.

If asked, she couldn't describe any of them, save for the person at his right.

This dream is always the worst.

For on his arm is a girl.

She always changes. Once she looked disturbingly like Rachel, but most of the time it's someone she's never seen before. Never once has he been alone.

Never once has he welcomed her into his arms.

Annabeth's facade crumbles, and, for a moment, her despair can be seen on her face.

She recovers. Hides her conflicting emotions- despair, anger, hurt- beneath a mask.

She gestures to Leo, and he presses a button. The ramp lowers, and she steps onto it.

The Romans, _and Percy_, she reminds herself, wait in silence for her. .

She introduces herself.

"My name is Annabeth Chase." She waits in vain for a flicker of recognition in his eyes. Sea green as always, they betray nothing. Nothing for the girl who'd been one of his best friends since they were twelve.

Nothing for his real girlfriend, instead of the imposter holding his hand.

This is why, after the first dream, she woke up crying. This is why a small part of her doesn't want to go- to just hold onto a memory, if the dream should turn out be true.

_That should be me,_ she thinks.

Percy holds out his hand to her, like a stranger.

"Percy Jackson."

_I know,_ she wants to say.

But she doesn't.

They shake hands like two complete strangers.

It tears her apart.

She blinks, holding back tears. Steps back to let Jason by, and the introductions continue.

When the dream ends, she remembers none of the names, but everything else is clear in her mind.

* * *

She braces herself.

_Who knows what will happen this time?_

She opens her eyes.

She can't see much due to the fog, but she hears voices.

"We're trying to get a lock on your position."

It sounded like... Grover? _What is Hades is he doing in her dream?_

"What?"

_That voice... It can't be... _

She runs towards them.

To where she knows He has to be.

Suddenly, through a break in the fog, she sees him.

He's wears a purple T-shirt and jeans. His hair, raven black with a grey streak that he and Annabeth share, is messy as usual. He wears a confused expression, which is nothing new for Annabeth.

"Thank the gods!" she cries.

"For months and months we couldn't see you! Are you all right?"

"Are you real?" he asks Annabeth.

Those three words break her heart.

She continues to run towards him, but he always stays out of reach. _Probably stupid Hera's doing. _

His face begins to fade, and she yells one last time.

"Stay put! It'll be easier for Tyson to find you! Stay where you are!"

Always business before pleasure; like a true child of Athena.

He is gone. She doesn't know how long it will be before she sees him again, but she knows she will.

Maybe there is some hope after all.

* * *

"Annabeth?"

She looks up. Piper is standing in the door of her cabin.

"It's time."

* * *

**A/N Originally, it was just the second last dream, but then I got ideas for more, and this was born.**

**I'd love to hear what you think!**

**Now, back to work on my MOA, now that I've got this plot bunny out of my head.**

**-Kaitie**


End file.
